It was 5:30 pm in Washington, DC, on Friday, Feb 12. The city had been shut down all week because of back to back record breaking snowfalls. On Friday morning, the TV pundits standing in front of a charming, snow shrouded scene at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, announced that the White House was open, and “back to business as usual.”
By the evening, during Hardball’s televised cable show with Chris Mathews, it was back to casually inserting the news via an interview with Pentagon correspondent Jim Miklazewski that the United States and “Afghan forces” had just launched the largest Afghanistan offensive of the war, in southern Afghanistan, near the city of Marjah.
25,000 to 30,000 troops (US, Nato, and “Afghan forces” per Miklazewski, without elaborating that number means it’s all the US and some intrepreters…..) were to chase out the Taliban from Afghanistan’s largest opium poppy area. And now, Miklazewski said, there was something different, the US had “walking around money” for the “recovery effort” after the offensive, when they had “settled in.” “They have money that has been appropriated by Congress to hand out in the south, to pretty much help them.” Oh, and to buy their allegiance.
Yes, he said that. “oh, and Chris, as you know, to buy their allegiance.”
This area of Afghanistan produces 60% of the world’s opium. 4 billion dollars a year’s worth. 400 million for the Taliban. And it’s poppy harvest season in Afghanistan.
Wait a minute. It’s effing FEBRUARY. You know, like, uhm, “winter.” They’re harvesting this crap in February ?
http://www.paktribune.com/news… New Headline: Global Climate Change Pops Poppy Harvest Up Entire Season From May To MidWinter !
“This is going to deny them some badly needed revenue, Chris.”
Okay dokey. Let me guess. This is going to provide some badly needed Revenue Enhancement for the CIA and Black Opts, isn’t it ?
Same old, same old. No wonder General McChystal recently said the Afghan situation was now “under control.”
Earlier today, teacherken posted an essay entitled,